Japanese seismic experts under the direction of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) are calling for new studies of fault lines beneath the Monju, Mihama, and Takahama nuclear power plants, all in Fukui Prefecture. The Hamaoka Plant in Shizuoka Prefecture and Shimane plant in Shimane Prefecture are also being investigated. Japanese law prohibits building nuclear plants over active faults, and recent data have raised questions about whether the faults beneath those plants—previously declared inactive by both plant operators and the government—need to be reassessed. In addition, some experts are calling for additional studies at the Oi plant, where seismic surveys are already being conducted. In spite of the safety concerns about the Oi reactors, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered them restarted in July. If active faults are found beneath any reactors, they could be shut down permanently and decommissioned. (Source: NHK)

Details about the days immediately following last year’s nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant continue to unfold as members of the media sift through over 150 hours of videotape from teleconferences conducted between TEPCO’s central offices in Tokyo and the plant’s emergency headquarters. In new footage, high-ranking utility officials are shown balking at then-plant manager Masao Yoshida’s request to inject seawater into the #2 reactor in an effort to cool it, instead expressing concern that the salt water would permanently damage the reactor. In spite of Yoshida’s insistence that there was no time to use only fresh water, an unidentified TEPCO official asks, “I think using seawater in a hasty way would be wasteful because materials will be corroded. Can we agree that we have the option of waiting as long as possible in order to use fresh water?” When Yoshida repeats that there is no more time, another TEPCO executive yells, “What a waste.” The #2 reactor eventually experienced a full nuclear meltdown. In its own final written assessment of the disaster, published in June, TEPCO vehemently denied any hesitation in dealing with the crisis head-on. But their own videotapes clearly contradict that statement.

Seventeen months after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, residents from Nahara in Fukushima Prefecture are finally being allowed to return to their homes in limited capacity, although they are still forbidden from staying there overnight. However, some residents are protesting the government’s decision to lift the no-entry ban, expressing concern about the wellbeing of their children in an environment where radiation levels remain high. (Source: NHK)

Once again TEPCO is lieing to cover previous lies. This is totatly unbelievable. The amount of incompetents is staggering. They worried about salt wat...

Once again TEPCO is lieing to cover previous lies. This is totatly unbelievable. The amount of incompetents is staggering. They worried about salt water damaging equipment while the reactors were going into meltdown. It is truly amazing that laws are broken affecting the innocent population.hats off to the men who stayed on the job to try to stabilize the reactors. I wonder where the executives were hiding. Thank you Greenpeace.

Tepco in any case should assume full ficanceial responability to all and any people that are in any way suffering from this problem, after makeing billions from this site. And trying to claim this plant was totaly safe, I feel tepco should be willing to pay the total bill even if they go broke..then the goverment that allowed this plant to be built should assume the final costs..after all they did the inspections and oked what tepco did...Tepco and the goverment need to do more then be sorry...they need to pay..without makeing people suffer all around the world...and anyone that has not gotten compenshion should speak so the rest of the world can boycot japan made good's....

Lots of useful information here. Some Japanese activists are calling for much swifter Tepco and the Japanese government action in remediation (especia...

Lots of useful information here. Some Japanese activists are calling for much swifter Tepco and the Japanese government action in remediation (especially of the fuel pools), because of the risk of further even more devastation accidents (see e.g. recent post by Akio Matsumura, retired diplomat : http://akiomatsumura.com/2012/​08/862.html).

Can Greenpeace campaign around these issues, beyond passing out information and consciousness raising? It is so urgent.

B.T.W., I thought the photo exhibition is wonderful, though of course very sad.

@ppp884: and what do you think of those companies that delivered the reactors and did not sufficiently warn for their weaknesses: GE, Hitachi, Toshiba...

@ppp884: and what do you think of those companies that delivered the reactors and did not sufficiently warn for their weaknesses: GE, Hitachi, Toshiba, to name a few? Now they are shielded from liability because of so called channelling legislation that puts the full liability on TEPCO...